Black Salvation
by illusoryfox
Summary: Two trainers meet up near Pallet and each think "This kid's got potential, I'll stick with him." Little did they know what that potential was...
1. Zane

_ffgtfgtr: Alright, here's chapter one!_

_These first two chapters are going to vary a bit from the rest of the story, in two ways:_

_1. The first two chapters are written separately. This one was my work, and the next one will be LF's. The subsequent ones will be written together. So yeah, Zane is my creation and the other guy is LF's.  
_

_2. While these two will end on the same thing, the others, at least in my head, will be constantly progressing, so you don't have to read both guys' points of view for each event._

_Anyways, that's it for me, and enjoy!  
_

* * *

"Today is it," I said, running through the thickly grown forest as fast as my legs could carry me. As the wind brushed my back, I whacked branches out of my way, mercilessly tearing them away from the trees for the crime of being in my path, and throwing them at other spectating foliage, as if they were judges who had given me a bad score.

I was not going to be late today. I couldn't afford to be late today.

You see, today, I happened to be receiving my first pokemon to train, and if I didn't get it, the rest of my plans were put to waste, thrown away like a failed story idea.

Logs, twigs, leaves, they all deserved the same treatment: a nice stomping. They didn't have feelings anyways.

Finally, a white building came into view, as did the end of this endless forest that blanketed the Kanto region, sparse in some places and dense in others, but always managing to show up somewhere along your path. I slowed to a swaggery stroll as I walked out of the woods like I lived there.

Oh wait, I did.

My name's Zane Black, and I'm starting my little pokemon journey at 18.

Now, I know what you're thinking, so don't even start with that "You're too old for this" crap.

This just means I happen to know what I'm doing, more so than those little brats with their Rattatas and Pidgeys. I could probably evolve my starter fully by the time I got to Cerulean City, and a rare pokemon or two'll be in my possession as well. Living in the wilderness rather than the city really helps one get a grasp of pokemons' behaviors, whether they're as common as Spearows or rare as Lapras.

I strolled inside the lab without knocking, and an aging man in the stereotypical lab coat turned to see his visitor.

"Hello! What can I do for you, young man?" he asked, the nametag pinned to the coat pocket dangling like the string of a kite stuck in a tree read "Professor Oak, chief of research, Kanto."

"I'm here to start the Pokemon Trainer program," I said confidently, and he looked me over, as if he could get my credentials simply by my clothing. I took off my gray baseball cap and brushed my hand through my red hair as he wandered to the back, muttering comments to himself that I couldn't pick up. He rummaged through a bunch of wooden drawers, finally finding what he needed, and walked over to me with a little red machine in one hand, and devices I recognized as Pokeballs in the other. He handed them to me, and said "These are Pokeballs, but you probably knew that already."

"Well, at least this geezer hasn't lost his mind," I thought.

"And this, in your left hand, is a Pokedex. You can record data for any pokemon we've discovered in here, and so far there are 493, though rumors of a lot more have surfaced of late," Oak said, and I smirked.

"You know, I could probably also use a pokemon, you know, so I'm not tromping around defenseless, at my age or not," I said, and he smiled, saying "Ah, yes, almost forgot! Here, you know the three Kanto starters, and even though a young boy already took a Squirtle, we have another if you'd want one."

"Actually, I've made up my mind on Charmander," I replied bluntly, and he picked up the pokeball holding the fire lizard, tossing it to me. I caught it with one hand with a grin plastered on my face, and he said "One last thing. I like to keep track of my new trainers for research purposes and all, so if you could just-"

"Of course, of course, I was wondering when we'd get to the paperwork." I walked over to where he had the pen and form, and signed my name, age and starter. Apparently Squirtle was the rage these days...

"Good luck... Zane," he said, reading my newly printed name off the piece of paper on top of his clipboard.

"Thanks..." I replied, exiting the lab and its artificial smells before he could ask anything else of me.

As soon as I walked outside, the crisp spring air hit me head on, and I couldn't help but smile. The scent of the flowers wafted away from a nearby house's garden, and it luckily found its way towards me. I stopped to smell the roses (literally), and as I did so, I let my new pokemon out.

"Char!" it cried, as if it was fierce or something. It was a fricking Charmander, the term "cute" or "weakling" better described it than "fierce." He looked up at me expectantly, and I simply said "Let's go."

"Where are we going?" he asked me, his tail flaring and waving behind him as he walked like a man and a torch trying to scare away a pack of Beedrills.

"Viridian City for now," I responded, still not looking at him directly. "What's your name, by the way?"

"Oh, uh, Pyre," he answered. "You can talk to me?"

"Yeah, so? Just a gift I've had, it's not unheard of..." I replied, and that seemed to suit him. We walked for another few minutes in silence before I saw a little kid training his Rattata. Perfect.

"Hey kid, battle. Now," I said forcefully, and he seemed more than eager to, not caring about the sharpness in my voice.

"Awright, you got it, mister!" he said back, calling his little vermin over.

"Pyre, use Scratch," I commanded, and my little lizard did just that. "Now Ember."

"I don't think I've learned that-"

"Do it. You're a fire pokemon, use fire," I cut him off, and he sighed. Somehow, though, he did it, and the Rattata was scorched by the attack, almost done for.

"One more Scratch should do it," I said, and that was that. I snatched the kid's wager out of his hand, and left, patting Pyre on the head.

"Not bad, my friend, not bad at all."

"Thanks, uh..."

"Zane, call me Zane," I said, and he did.

As we walked on, I looked at the little Pokeballs in my hands, taken out from their place in my pants pockets. Five of them were regular old pokeballs, but the sixth one looked different. This one was purple, with pink circles on each side. What, is this a pokeball specially designed for girls or something? I stuffed them back in my pockets, and commanded Pyre to go incinerate a Caterpie.

After a couple more battles with wild pokemon, Pyre was ready to take on anyone in the area with ease, so I continued on, though not without a couple more trainer battles. I tell you, I was surprised by his energy, he was just chock full of it. And once he reached Charizard form, that would make him one damn powerful dragon.

As we came within a mile of Viridian City, anyways, I saw another trainer. This one had jet black hair almost down to his shoulders, and piercing green eyes that looked like they could shoot lasers if he tried hard enough, and, inexplicably, he was wearing a suit. Tthe pokemon strolling beside him was an Alakazam, which automatically told me not to mess with him.

I sensed something different about this man, though. His aura seemed to emanate from him like the sun's rays, and they way he conducted himself told me he was a pro at everything he did.

Immediately, one thought came to my mind: "I could go places with this kid. He could really help out what I have in mind for the future..."

Without a second thought, I walked right up to him and tried to make small talk.

"Any particular reason you're wearing a suit?"

"It's just comfortable, I guess..." he replied, eyeing me suspiciously, probably surprised that he had been randomly approached. I'd have done the same thing, if not just blown the guy off... His Alakazam looked me over as I walked with him, and must have told his master something trough telepathy.

Why did I figure this? Because suddenly, the guy started questioning me!

"Did you just start training your Charmander there?" he asked, pointing at Pyre.

"Yep, just got him today. Trying to work him as hard as he can go and see how quickly he can evolve, and he's kept up through everything. Quite proud of the little guy, actually."

I was not an easy man to please, mind you, but this was actually the truth. I had obviously made the right choice in my pick.

"I see... where'd you grow up?" he followed up.

"Actually, I've lived in the forest around Pallet. My parents weren't around very much when I was young, and I finally just picked up my few belongings and left."

"Ah... well then..." He seemed to be looking me over as well, so I did the same.

"Would you like to travel with us, then? I'm sure you'll get in quite a few battles with us, and when we fight, it's for a good cause," he said, and I grinned.

"That'd be excellent. What do you think, Pyre?"

"All right with me!" he said enthusiastically, and I nodded to the man, who looked to be about my age, maybe a bit older.

"Let's go, then. Hope you don't mind if I try and train him up a lot on the way, though. I want him to be a Charizard by the time we get to Cerulean, and with his energy, that should be easily accomplishable."

"Cerulean? With my help, try Pewter City," he replied, and we shook hands, both grasping the other's palms firmly. "What's your name, by the way?"

"Zane, Zane Black. And yours?"

"You can call me Micah," he replied, "and this is Alonso, my Alakazam. Been with me my whole journey."

"Ah, nice to meet you two. Now, what did you mean, 'fighting for a good cause?'" I asked him.

"I'll tell you on the way. Let's go."

And with that, our travels had begun, and our fates were intertwined from that moment on.

* * *

_Lucariofan: *ahem*_

_I've calmed down now. Hey, its my first collab, don't judge.  
_

_So yeah. I didn't write this. But its good! :D_

_Not much to say for me. Look forward to my chapter? ;)_


	2. Micah

_Lucariofan: Woohoo, my turn!_

_So yeah. This chapter is from Micah's point of view, and ends with the meeting as before. But it's more exciting. :p Take that ffgtfgtr! _

_Anyways, enjoy.  
_

* * *

The first step of my plans was already complete.

Cyrus was a deceptive, complex man. He showed more guts than his ridiculous admins, or the even more pathetic grunts in his operation. However, though he portrayed himself as devoid of all emotion, he still cried, begged, and pleaded like a child for his life.

Right before I killed him.

He lies now, broken and defeated at my feet. Sinnoh is now cleansed of the stench of his depravity; Kanto and Hoenn remain under the control of crime syndicates, however.

I stood atop Mt. Coronet, the highest point in Sinnoh, looking out over several cities, my jacket swaying gently in the wind. Behind me stood the impressive form of Giratina, the legendary shadow Pokémon awakened by Cyrus in his attempt to rewrite this world in his image. He looked at me with confusion, and seemed unaware of what to do with himself in this world. Hardly the reaction one expects from a deity...

''_What would this world be like...without them...'' _I shook this thought from my head, as I was sounding like Cyrus. Besides, I wasn't here to wipe out all of humanity...just certain aspects, that the world would be better off without.

''I would leave you to choose your own fate. I believe some of your legendary friends are trapped beneath, why not save them? After that, you could go back to your world, or into hibernation. Either way, your path is your own.'' He nodded at me, and I could see he understood. Next thing I knew, he had vanished.

I looked again over the region, thinking on my current situation. I could now go to Kanto, and put a stop to Team Rocket, or perhaps Hoenn, and end the constant quarrels between Team Magma, and Team Aqua. It's my mission, you see, to stop all of these criminals. However, don't get me wrong; I'm not doing this for any reward, or any sense of recognition. I simply see that these groups have no reason to be, no right to their existence. And seeing as I have the power to end that existence, I decided to do exactly that. Besides, making my Pokémon stronger was always a bonus.

I turned to one of those Pokémon, and my most powerful. Alonso, my lifetime partner, an Alakazam. ''Alonso,'' I began, ''Teleport us to Kanto. It's time to continue this mission.'' He closed his eyes and focused for a moment, and in an instant, the cloudy mountaintop melted away into an urban, polluted landscape. Humiliatingly, I found myself stood in a pile of trash. ''Wonderful,'' I complained, with sarcasm. ''It's all over my suit...'' Alonso focused for a moment, and my outfit was again spotless. ''Well, thanks. But I could have done that myself.'' He rolled his eyes, and I looked up at the tall, bleak buildings now surrounding us. ''Where are we, anyway?'' He made no motion to answer, merely stepped out into a more crowded street. I stopped a passerby man to question him. ''You there, where am I?''

He eyed me curiously, before answering. ''Viridian City, friend...are you feeling alright?''

''I'm fine,'' I snapped, adjusting my shirt in case of any stray dirt. I didn't think much to muck, and the incident in the alley had left me somewhat paranoid.

''Are you su-'' He didn't have time to finish his sentence, as I fixed him with a look that could pierce steel. His jaw dropped as he turned and hurried away.

''Idiots, all of them...however, Alonso, this place is perfect. I've heard rumours that the gym leader here is none other than the very crime leader I'm searching for. With any luck, this could be a short visit. Let's find the gym.'' He followed me silently as I headed north, scanning the area for any signs of a gym, or perhaps a battle. Soon we did find the gym, though nothing like I expected it to be. It was a decaying, run down building, with a flimsy wooden door that had a sign nailed lazily to it. It sated simply: 'DO NOT ENTER.' I chose to ignore it. A swift kick to the admittedly pathetic door granted me access. The gym's interior was in no better state than its exterior, however. Obviously Giovanni was not here, and the only clue I could find was a half broken bust in his image. 'Quaint,' I observed. A piece of ceiling crashing loudly to the floor told me that leaving would be a good idea, so I did.

''Doesn't look like we're going to get anywhere here, Alonso.'' He nodded in agreement, and I looked to the outside of the city. 'Do you sense anything, anything that might be of some assistance?'

He closed his eyes, focusing on psychic energies again. Clearly he was scanning the city for any sign of my target. ''_There is nothing related to Team Rocket here, at the moment. However, I detect a powerful presence nearby.''_

''A powerful presence?''

''_Someone nearby is...more than they seem.''_

''More than they seem?''

''_I can't explain, but its significant.''_

''Where?''

''_South of here, towards Pallet Town.''_

I thought about this for a moment. This was intriguing, but not necessarily important to my plans. ''Let's go...towards this 'presence'. We'll investigate that before heading to Pewter.'' He nodded, and followed me out of the city towards the small town in the south. Shortly after leaving the city, however, I was approached by a most peculiar individual.

''Any particular reason you're wearing a suit?'' I looked down to respond to this strange question. He was a boy, not much younger than myself. He was tall, and quite thin, with blue-green eyes, and long, messy, red hair concealed underneath a grey cap.

''It's just comfortable, I guess...'' Normally, I would have made a sharper comeback, but this boy had caught my attention. His eyes, in particular-there was something interesting behind those eyes. And even though his only Pokémon was apparently the Charmander bouncing along happily behind him, he looked as if he could be seriously strong, if he wanted to be. And Charmander, although weak, was very powerful once evolved.

''_This is him, the one I could sense.''_ That sealed it. I had to find out about this boy.

''Did you just start training your Charmander there?''

''Yep, just got him today. Trying to work him as hard as he can go and see how quickly he can evolve, and he's kept up through everything. Quite proud of the little guy, actually.'' I could see what he meant-this Pokémon certainly had a lot of potential. And could fit well into my plans...

However, I still wasn't satisfied. I wanted to know more about this boy before inviting him to help me. ''I see... where'd you grow up?'' I asked, hoping to dig up some useful information.

'' Actually, I've lived in the forest around Pallet. My parents weren't around very much when I was young, and I finally just picked up my few belongings and left.'' This interested me. This boy, having grown up in the wilderness, would likely have a keen bond with Pokémon, as well as a good deal of independence and intelligence, enough to survive alone in the wild... More and more I was starting to like him, and see the immense potential in him.

''Ah...well then...'' I looked him over again, making my final judgements. I could see him doing the same to me. I finally decided that I would offer him a chance. '' Would you like to travel with us, then? I'm sure you'll get in quite a few battles with us, and when we fight, it's for a good cause,'' I offered, and he grinned in response.

'' That'd be excellent. What do you think, Pyre?''

''Fine by me!'' His Pokémon, apparently called Pyre, responded with a leap of happiness. Certainly full of energy.

'' Let's go, then. Hope you don't mind if I try and train him up a lot on the way, though. I want him to be a Charizard by the time we get to Cerulean, and with his energy, that should be easily accomplishable.'' Ah, the final ingredient to an excellent accomplice. A desire for power. If I were able to control him, he could prove _very _useful.

'' Cerulean? With my help, try Pewter City,'' I replied, making sure to show him the profit he stood to gain with me. We shook hands firmly. ''What's your name, by the way?''

''Zane, Zane Black. And yours?''

''You can call me Micah. And this is Alonso, my Alakazam. Been with me my entire journey.''

''Ah, nice to meet you two. Now, what did you mean, 'fighting for a good cause?'''

''I'll tell you on the way. Let's go''. With that, we set off towards Pewter City, bound for an interesting journey, to say the least.

* * *

_Ffgtfgtr: You call walking around exciting? Would hate to see what you do on Friday nights..._

_Let's compare: Scorching Caterpies vs. walking around a city._

_I win. :P_


End file.
